When that happens, we’ll spend more time outdoors. We’ll grill more. We’ll work up a sweat.

And we’ll want good, cold summer beer to cool us off.

Shiner Ruby Redbird, a seasonal lager from Spoetzl Brewery in Texas, will be a good brew for that.

Ruby Redbird is brewed with Ruby Red grapefruit and a touch of ginger. That grapefruit element had me expecting to pucker like a fish, but that was not the case at all. Redbird turns out to have less of a grapefruit vibe than many beers that include no real grapefruit at all.

India pale ale drinkers know what I’m talking about. IPAs employ hops by the ton, and some hops varieties and combinations result in a big grapefruit aroma or taste. Those can make you pucker, indeed.

Puckering is less likely with Ruby Redbird.

The aroma is light, sort of like a wheat beer with a hint of citrus. I did not detect a lot of ginger in the nose. The appearance is pale, featuring a straw hue with hints of red. The head is bright white, but does not stick around long. Streams of bubbles jump around in the glass.

The taste definitely starts with a grapefruit tartness, more so than the aroma might lead you to expect. Even so, it’s just a brief tangy thing that quickly gives way to a witbier-like malt vibe followed by a ginger ale finish. No one flavor dominates, and the combination is refreshing when served very cold. I did not enjoy the brew as much after it warmed a bit.

The beer has a fairly high carbonation level and a good malt backbone, giving it a spritely, crisp body.

Ruby Redbird is a nicely balanced brew, and not at all bitter.

Shiner Ruby Redbird would pair really well with a family picnic — it would taste really good with brats and burgers, would not overwhelm egg or potato salad and its low alcohol level makes it a good choice for outdoor fun.

That’s assuming you drink responsibly, of course; even a low alcohol level adds up if you just keep pouring beers down your throat.

I still prefer Shiner Hefeweizen, a wheat ale with a Bavarian kick and a bit of lemony-orange tang to it that smacks of sunshine. I could go for a Ruby Redbird as a change of pace, though.

A special week

I was all set to review a pint of bitter from across the pond when I realized this was American Craft Beer Week.

The English brew will just have to wait a week; this is a time to celebrate small and independent U.S. breweries who produce such a dizzying array of new beers that I never have trouble finding something to write about here.

I raise a toast to the ingenuity of American craft brewers, and invite you all to do the same. USA! USA! USA!